blog on identity, leadership, discipleship

advent, black lives, and 25 days of changing the narrative – day #25

wow…it’s day 25 and what a journey it has been! i find myself today so honored to have shared glimpses into the lives of these 25 beautiful individuals and families with you. it got emotional there for me at times because of the circumstances that have driven me to protest in this way. but also, in the recalling of these lives, i’ve profoundly realized that i am because they were/are. these narratives are a testament to the power of relationships and that we are continually formed, shaped, sharpened and better people because of the life we share with those around us.

so, as we round out this advent season, i share these 4 men with you – men who are not only bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, but the ones who give my life meaning and my breath each morning its purpose.

it’s one thing to endure rejection and disownment by a parent because of your love for a black man. it’s a whole NUTHA thing to endure being the one always told that your body is a problem – that the color of your skin somehow makes you unworthy of someone’s daughter! that was our story. i praise god everyday for brian’s love, his strength, his patience, his witty humor, his brilliance, his handyman-ness, his creativity, his back massages, and his love for the little things in life.

i’m especially grateful for the ways he loves and cares for our sons. as beautiful mixed-race young men in this world, we long for them to love and embrace every part of who they are. brian has and continues to help shape the narrative of their blackness – teaching them the historical and present realities of race, and teaching them the power of their own words, thoughts, and presence (carried and evidenced in their own bodies) to help inform and transform the world around them. my sons are truly blessed to have a father who calls out the very best in them and sees their unique gifts and encourages them in that space. these 4 men together give me so much strength, remind me of god’s redemptive grace, make me feel like a QUEEN BEE up in this house, and love me with every fiber of their being! they are truly god’s gift to me. and for that, i’m beyond grateful.

advent, black lives, and 25 days of changing the narrative… i hope you were as blessed by this journey as i was. as we celebrate the birth of christ tomorrow, i celebrate god’s incarnate presence already evidenced in the witness of these beautiful black lives! as we continue to wait for the “not yet” of god’s shalom and justice here on this earth, i choose to stop for a moment today, to turn back and give god praise for the many gifts of love and possibility already in our midst.